CDCFoundation 74d ago

In this month's partner call, participants learned about how food and nutrition in U.S. prisons affect the health of incarcerated people, their babies, and our broader public health outcomes. Panelists included Aishatu Yusuf, Vice President, and Heile Gantan-Keo, Program Manager from Impact Justice; and Krista Lumpkins-Howard, Senior Director of Training and Community Impact at Birthing Beautiful Communities. Aishatu R. Yusuf, MPA, Ed.D. (c), has more than a decade of experience developing innovative solutions to complex social problems. She approaches systemic change through an intersectional lens that confronts race and gender bias in justice systems affecting low-resource communities, system-impacted people, youth, girls, and women. At Impact Justice, she has helped create and sustain transformative projects, including California Justice Leaders, The Homecoming Project, and the Food in Prison Project. Aishatu has presented nationwide, provided legislative testimony, drafted education policy, and appeared in media and podcasts. She holds degrees from Johns Hopkins, Northeastern, and the University of Utah. Heile Gantan-Keo is a Program Manager with the Food in Prison Project. Her background in nutrition, public policy, and lived experience with the California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation drives her work to improve essential resources in jails and prisons. She partners with nonprofit, civic, and state organizations to support people affected by the criminal justice system. Her policy experience includes fellowships with the Underground Scholars Initiative and the Anti-Recidivism Coalition. Before joining Impact Justice, she supported food-insecure students, seniors, and justice-impacted adults through internships with the CalFresh Outreach Program. She holds degrees from California State University, Sacramento, and UC Irvine. Krista Lumpkins-Howard is a respected maternal health advocate and community leader, serving as Senior Director of Training and Community Impact at Birthing Beautiful Communities, a Cleveland-based nonprofit working to reduce infant and maternal mortality. With more than 27 years of experience in behavioral health and perinatal support, she brings deep expertise and compassion to her work. As a full-spectrum doula, community health worker, and childbirth educator, Krista is committed to improving outcomes for Black and brown birthing people through culturally competent support across pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. Her work centers on advocacy, equity, and training responsive doulas. ‍